^16:1In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign, King Baasha of Israel attacked Judah, and he established Ramah as a military outpost to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the land of King Asa of Judah.¹^16:2Asa took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of the royal palace and sent it to King Ben Hadad of Syria, ruler in Damascus, along with this message: ^16:3“I want to make a treaty with you, like the one our fathers made.² See, I have sent you silver and gold. Break your treaty with King Baasha of Israel, so he will retreat from my land.”³^16:4Ben Hadad accepted King Asa’s offer and ordered his army commanders to attack the cities of Israel.⁴ They conquered⁵ Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim,⁶ and all the storage cities of Naphtali. ^16:5When Baasha heard the news, he stopped fortifying⁷ Ramah and abandoned the project.⁸^16:6King Asa ordered all the men of Judah to carry away the stones and wood that Baasha had used to build Ramah.⁹ He used the materials to build up¹⁰ Geba and Mizpah.

^16:7At that time Hanani the prophet¹¹ visited King Asa of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Syria and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped from your hand. ^16:8Did not the Cushites and Libyans have a huge army with chariots and a very large number of horsemen? But when you relied on the Lord, he handed them over to you! ^16:9Certainly¹² the Lord watches the whole earth carefully¹³ and is ready to strengthen those who are devoted to him.¹⁴ You have acted foolishly in this matter; from now on you will have war. ^16:10Asa was so angry at the prophet, he put him in jail.¹⁵ Asa also oppressed some of the people at that time.

Asa’s Reign Ends

^16:11The events of Asa’s reign, from start to finish, are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel.¹⁶^16:12In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a foot disease.¹⁷ Though his disease was severe, he did not seek the Lord, but only the doctors.¹⁸^16:13Asa passed away¹⁹ in the forty-first year of his reign. ^16:14He was buried in the tomb he had carved out in the City of David.²⁰ They laid him to rest on a bier covered with spices and assorted mixtures of ointments. They made a huge bonfire to honor him.²¹

Jehoshaphat Becomes King

^17:1His son Jehoshaphat replaced him as king and solidified his rule over Israel.¹^17:2He placed troops in all of Judah’s fortified cities and posted garrisons² throughout the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim that his father Asa had seized.

^17:3The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed in his ancestor³ David’s footsteps at the beginning of his reign.⁴ He did not seek the Baals, ^17:4but instead sought the God of his ancestors⁵ and obeyed⁶ his commands, unlike the Israelites.⁷^17:5The Lord made his kingdom secure;⁸ all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he became very wealthy and greatly respected.⁹^17:6He was committed to following the Lord;¹⁰ he even removed the high places and Asherah poles from Judah.

^17:7In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah to teach in the cities of Judah. ^17:8They were accompanied by the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-Adonijah, and by the priests Elishama and Jehoram. ^17:9They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the scroll of the law of the Lord. They traveled to all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

^17:10The Lord put fear into all the kingdoms surrounding Judah;¹¹ they did not make war with Jehoshaphat. ^17:11Some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat tribute, including a load of silver. The Arabs brought him 7,700 rams and 7,700 goats from their flocks.

^17:12Jehoshaphat’s power kept increasing. He built fortresses and storage cities throughout Judah. ^17:13He had many supplies stored in the cities of Judah and an army of skilled warriors stationed in Jerusalem.¹²^17:14These were their divisions by families:

There were a thousand officers from Judah.¹³ Adnah the commander led 300,000 skilled warriors, ^17:15Jehochanan the commander led 280,000, ^17:16and Amasiah son of Zikri, who volunteered to serve the Lord, led 200,000 skilled warriors.

^17:17From Benjamin, Eliada, a skilled warrior, led 200,000 men who were equipped with bows and shields, ^17:18and Jehozabad led 180,000 trained warriors.

^17:19These were the ones who served the king, besides those whom the king placed in the fortified cities throughout Judah.

Jehoshaphat Allies with Ahab

^18:1Jehoshaphat was very wealthy and greatly respected. He made an alliance by marriage with Ahab, ^18:2and after several years¹ went down to visit² Ahab in Samaria.³ Ahab slaughtered many sheep and cattle to honor Jehoshaphat and those who came with him.⁴ He persuaded him to join in an attack⁵ against Ramoth Gilead. ^18:3King Ahab of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Will you go with me to attack Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, “I will support you; my army is at your disposal and will support you in battle.”⁶^18:4Then Jehoshaphat added,⁷ “First seek an oracle from the Lord.”⁸^18:5So the king of Israel assembled 400 prophets and asked them, “Should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?”⁹ They said, “Attack! God¹⁰ will hand it over to the king.” ^18:6But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not a prophet of the Lord still here, that we may ask him?” ^18:7The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, “There is still one man through whom we can seek the Lord’s will.¹¹ But I despise¹² him because he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but always¹³ disaster. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah.¹⁴ Jehoshaphat said, “The king should not say such things!” ^18:8The king of Israel summoned an officer and said, “Quickly bring Micaiah son of Imlah.”

^18:9Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were sitting on their respective thrones, dressed in their royal robes, at the threshing floor at¹⁵ the entrance of the gate of Samaria. All the prophets were prophesying before them. ^18:10Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made iron horns and said, “This is what the Lord says, ‘With these you will gore Syria until they are destroyed!’ ” ^18:11All the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Attack Ramoth Gilead! You will succeed; the Lord will hand it over to the king!” ^18:12Now the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, “Look, the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed.¹⁶ Your words must agree with theirs; you must predict success!”¹⁷^18:13But Micaiah said, “As certainly as the Lord lives, I will say what my God tells me to say!”

^18:14Micaiah¹⁸ came before the king and the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we attack Ramoth Gilead or not?” He answered him, “Attack! You will succeed; they will be handed over to you.”¹⁹^18:15The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in²⁰ the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” ^18:16Micaiah²¹ replied, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’ ” ^18:17The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?” ^18:18Micaiah²² said, “That being the case, hear the word of the Lord: I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the heavenly assembly standing on his right and on his left. ^18:19The Lord said, ‘Who will deceive King Ahab of Israel, so he will attack Ramoth Gilead and die there?’ One said this and another that. ^18:20Then a spirit²³ stepped forward and stood before the Lord. He said, ‘I will deceive him.’ The Lord asked him, ‘How?’ ^18:21He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord²⁴ said, ‘Deceive and overpower him.²⁵ Go out and do as you have proposed.’ ^18:22So now, look, the Lord has placed a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours; but the Lord has decreed disaster for you.” ^18:23Zedekiah son of Kenaanah approached, hit Micaiah on the jaw, and said, “Which way did the Lord’s spirit go when he went from me to speak to you?” ^18:24Micaiah replied, “Look, you will see in the day when you go into an inner room to hide.” ^18:25Then the king of Israel said, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the city official and Joash the king’s son. ^18:26Say, ‘This is what the king says: “Put this man in prison. Give him only a little bread and water²⁶ until I return safely.” ’ ” ^18:27Micaiah said, “If you really do return safely, then the Lord has not spoken through me!” Then he added, “Take note,²⁷ all you people.”

^18:28The king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah attacked Ramoth Gilead. ^18:29The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “I will disguise myself and then enter²⁸ the battle; but you wear your royal attire.” So the king of Israel disguised himself and they entered the battle. ^18:30Now the king of Syria had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight common soldiers or high ranking officers;²⁹ fight only the king of Israel!” ^18:31When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “He must be the king of Israel!” So they turned and attacked him, but Jehoshaphat cried out. The Lord helped him; God lured them away from him. ^18:32When the chariot commanders realized he was not the king of Israel, they turned away from him. ^18:33Now an archer shot an arrow at random³⁰ and it struck the king of Israel between the plates of his armor. The king³¹ ordered his charioteer, “Turn around and take me from the battle line,³² for I am wounded.” ^18:34While the battle raged throughout the day, the king stood propped up in his chariot opposite the Syrians. He died in the evening as the sun was setting.

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Footnotes

1 Heb “and he built up Ramah so as to not permit going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah.”
2 Heb “[May there be] a covenant between me and you [as there was] between my father and your father.”
3 Heb “so he will go up from upon me.”
4 Heb “and Ben Hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of the armies which belonged to him against the cities of Israel.”
5 Heb “They struck down.”
6 In the parallel passage in 1 Kgs 15:20, this city’s name appears as Abel Beth Maacah. These appear to be variant names for the same place.
7 Heb “building.”
8 Heb “and he caused his work to cease.”
9 Heb “and King Asa took all Judah and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its wood which Baasha had built.”
10 Heb “and he built with them.”
11 Heb “the seer.”
12 Or “for.”
13 Heb “the eyes of the Lord move quickly through all the earth.”
14 Heb “to strengthen himself with their heart, [the one] complete toward him.”
15 Heb “and Asa was angry at the seer, and he put him [in] the house of stocks, because of his rage with him over this.”
16 Heb “Look, the events of Asa, the former and the latter, look, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
17 Heb “became sick in his feet.”
18 Heb “unto upwards [i.e., very severe [was] his sickness, and even in his sickness he did not seek the Lord, only the healers.
19 Heb “lay down with his fathers, and he died.”
20 The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
21 Heb “and they burned for him a large fire, very great.”
1 Heb “and strengthened himself over Israel.”
2 Or perhaps, “governors.”
3 Heb “father.”
4 Heb “for he walked in the ways of David his father [in] the beginning [times].”
5 Heb “fathers.”
6 Heb “walked in.”
7 Heb “and not like the behavior of Israel.”
8 Heb “established the kingdom in his hand.”
9 Heb “and he had wealth and honor in abundance.”
10 Heb “and his heart was high in the ways of the Lord.” Perhaps גָּבַהּ (gavah, “be high”) here means “be cheerful” ( ) or “be encouraged” ( 147 3.a).
11 Heb “and the terror of the Lord was upon all the kingdoms of the lands which were surrounding Judah.”
12 Heb “and many supplies were his in the cities of Judah, and men of war, warriors of skill in Jerusalem.” For location see ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .
13 Or perhaps “from Judah, commanders of the thousands.”
1 Heb “at the end of years.”
2 The word “visit” is supplied in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
3 For location see ; ; ; ; .
4 Heb “and Ahab slaughtered for him sheep and cattle in abundance, and for the people who were with him.”
5 Heb “to go up.”
6 Heb “Like me, like you; and like your people, my people; and with you in battle.”
7 Heb “and Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel.”
8 Heb “the word of the Lord.” Jehoshaphat is requesting a prophetic oracle revealing the Lord’s will in the matter and their prospects for success. For examples of such oracles, see 2 Sam 5:19, 23–24.
9 Heb “Should we go against Ramoth Gilead for war or should I refrain?”
10 Though Jehoshaphat had requested an oracle from “the Lord” (יְהוָה, yéhvah, “Yahweh”), the Israelite prophets stop short of actually using this name and substitute the title הָאֱלֹהִים (ha’elohim, “the God”). This ambiguity may explain in part Jehoshaphat’s hesitancy and caution (vv. 7–8). He seems to doubt that the 400 are genuine prophets of the Lord.
11 Heb “to seek the Lord from him.”
12 Or “hate.”
13 Heb “all his days.”
14 The words “his name is” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.
15 Heb “at,” which in this case probably means “near.”
16 Heb “the words of the prophets are [with] one mouth good for the king.”
17 Heb “let your words be like one of them and speak good.”
18 Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation both for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
19 One does not expect Micaiah, having just vowed to speak only what the Lord tells him, to agree with the other prophets and give the king an inaccurate prophecy. Micaiah’s actions became understandable later, when we discover that the Lord desires to deceive the king and lead him to his demise. The Lord even dispatches a lying spirit to deceive Ahab’s prophets. Micaiah can lie to the king because he realizes this lie is from the Lord. It is important to note that in v. 13 Micaiah only vows to speak the word of his God; he does not necessarily say he will tell the truth. In this case the Lord’s word is deliberately deceptive. Only when the king adjures him to tell the truth (v. 15), does Micaiah do so.
20 Or “swear an oath by.”
21 Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
22 Heb “he”; the referent (Micaiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
23 Heb “the spirit.” The significance of the article prefixed to רוּחַ (ruakh) is uncertain, but it could contain a clue as to this spirit’s identity, especially when interpreted in light of verse 23. It is certainly possible, and probably even likely, that the article is used in a generic or dramatic sense and should be translated, “a spirit.” In the latter case it would show that this spirit was vivid and definite in the mind of Micaiah the storyteller. However, if one insists that the article indicates a well-known or universally known spirit, the following context provides a likely referent. Verse 23 tells how Zedekiah slapped Micaiah in the face and then asked sarcastically, “Which way did the spirit from the Lord (רוּחַ־יְהוָה, ruakh-yéhvah) go when he went from me to speak to you?” When the phrase “the spirit of the Lord” refers to the divine spirit (rather than the divine breath or mind, as in Isa 40:7, 13) elsewhere, the spirit energizes an individual or group for special tasks or moves one to prophesy. This raises the possibility that the deceiving spirit of vv. 20–22 is the same as the divine spirit mentioned by Zedekiah in v. 23. This would explain why the article is used on רוּחַ (ruakh); he can be called “the spirit” because he is the well-known spirit who energizes the prophets.
24 Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
25 The Hebrew text has two imperfects connected by וְגַם (végam). These verbs could be translated as specific futures, “you will deceive and also you will prevail,” in which case the Lord is assuring the spirit of success on his mission. However, in a commissioning context (note the following imperatives) such as this, it is more likely that the imperfects are injunctive, in which case one could translate, “Deceive, and also overpower.”
26 Heb “the bread of affliction and the water of affliction.”
27 Heb “Listen.”
28 The Hebrew verbal forms could be imperatives (“Disguise yourself and enter”), but this would make no sense in light of the immediately following context. The forms are better interpreted as infinitives absolute functioning as cohortatives (see §35.5.2a). Some prefer to emend the forms to imperfects.
29 Heb “small or great.”
30 Heb “now a man drew a bow in his innocence” (i.e., with no specific target in mind, or at least without realizing his target was the king of Israel).
31 Heb “he”; the referent (the king) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
32 Heb “camp.”